A three-dimensional imaging detector based on nano-scale silver-related defects in X- and gamma-ray-irradiated glasses

Ag-activated phosphate glass, which is the most commonly known radiophotoluminescent (RPL) material, has the capability to operate not only dosimeters but also two- and three-dimensional (2D and 3D) dose imaging detectors in the same host. This passive detector is based on radiation-induced, optically active nano-scale defects. In this work, the transient-state optical properties of the blue and orange RPL were investigated using a time-resolved spectrum technique for Cs-137 and Co-60 gamma-ray-irradiated Ag-activated phosphate glass. Specifically, the blue RPL intensity with a decay time of 5 ns as a function of the depth at the vicinity of the surface was systematically examined to clarify an accurate dose distribution within the glass. Moreover, a feasibility study into the use of an RPL Ag-activated phosphate glass detector for fluorescent nuclear track imaging was demonstrated using a confocal fluorescence image microscope for the first time. (C) 2016 The Japan Society of Applied Physics